ENDICOTT COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT

Beverly, MA – Endicott College holds its seventy-second commencement exercises on Saturday, May 19 at 10:30 am at the Stadium, Endicott College, 376 Hale Street, Beverly, MA.
 
750 students are expected to graduate in 2012:   220 with Master of Arts, Master of Education, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, or Master of Fine Arts degrees, 525 students with Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, and five with Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degrees.

Salome Thomas-EL will be the commencement speaker and recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.  He is a national education expert and consultant.  He has been a teacher and principal in Philadelphia, PA from 1987 to 2009 and is currently the Head of School at Thomas Edison Charter School in Wilmington, DE.  Throughout his career, he has helped hundreds of high-risk children overcome the barriers posed by poverty, violence, neglect, and low self-esteem to achieve success as high school and college graduates.  He received national acclaim as a teacher and chess coach at Vaux Middle School, where his students have gone on to win world recognition as Eight-Time National Chess Champions. Salome was a regular contributor on the first season of “The Dr. Oz Show” and is the author of the best-selling books, I Choose to Stay, about his Vaux Middle School experience, and The Immortality of Influence, which stresses the importance of leadership, mentoring, parenting and service to others. The Walt Disney Company has the movie rights to I Choose to Stay.

Salome speaks to groups across the country and has been featured on C-SPAN, CNN, NPR Radio, and “The Oprah Radio Network.” He is a graduate of East Stroudsburg University and has studied in Cambridge and London, England.  He is currently a doctoral candidate. Salome has received the Marcus A. Foster Award as the outstanding School District Administrator in Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania’s distinguished Martin Luther King Award.  Reader’s Digest Magazine recently recognized Principal Thomas-EL as an “inspiring American icon.” He lives in Delaware County with his wife and two young daughters.

State Senator Frederick E. Berry will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at the commencement ceremony.  Senate Majority Leader Berry is a life-long resident of Peabody. He is currently serving his 14th term in the Massachusetts State Senate, representing the communities of Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Salem, and Topsfield. He has served as Majority Leader since being appointed to the position in 2003.

Before serving in the Massachusetts Senate, Senator Berry was rehabilitation professional at the Hogan Vocational Center, a setting for adults with developmental disabilities. He later served as Executive Director for Heritage Industries, which provides day programs for individuals with physical and mental challenges. Through his work and advocacy for the disabled community, he was drawn to serve a larger audience. He held a Councilor-at-Large seat on the Peabody City Council for four years.

Senator Berry attended Bishop Fenwick High School. After receiving his Bachelor of Science from the School of Management at Boston College, he joined the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) for two years of service in Corpus Christi, Texas. He later received a Master’s Degree in Education from Antioch College.
 
Senator Berry currently lives in Peabody with his wife, Gayle Berry.

The Excellence in Teaching Award, voted on by the graduating class, goes to Dr. William Young,  Associate Professor of Humanities.  He received his BA from Swarthmore College, his MA from the University of Virginia and his Ph. D. in religious studies from the University of Virginia. Prior to joining Endicott, he taught at James Madison University, Loyola College and King’s College.  He has taught at Endicott for seven years, teaching courses in ethics, religion, ancient and medieval philosophy, and popular culture.  His research interests include issues in philosophy and religious studies, with a central focus on the thematic of friendship. He is the author of numerous articles and essays, ranging from The Journal of Religion and Philosophy Today to South Park and Philosophy. He is also the author of two books: The Politics of Praise: Naming God and Friendship in Aquinas and Derrida (Ashgate, 2007) and Uncommon Friendships: An Amicable History of Modern Religious Thought (Cascade, 2010).
 
Dr. Young resides in Beverly.

Commencement information:  http://www.endicott.edu/commencement